Weekend in LA at The Hotel Wilshire

Located between Museum Mile and Rodeo Drive on Wilshire Boulevard, the Hotel Wilshire is a delightful escape into the excitement and pleasures of Los Angeles, CA. Even better, they have completely embraced a holistic, multi-modal approach to getting around so that visitors can avoid most, if not all, of the usual car and traffic induced trauma of trying to navigate the great motor city. The Hotel Wilshire’s “Car Free, Care Free” package makes it easy for visitors to skip the traffic and expense of a car rental.

Photo by Josh Fogel

Photo by Josh Fogel

The Hotel Wilshire is one of my favorite types of accommodations: a boutique hotel that is luxurious and design oriented, yet small enough to feel intimate and welcoming. Checking in at the Hotel Wilshire is a charming experience. The front desk staff are easygoing and show genuine enthusiasm for helping guests relax, check out a bike, find local jogging and biking routes, or pretty much whatever. Quiet spaces to get some work done or to plot your next adventure are also available and provides a wonderful sense of privacy. This is the place you want to go to to feel fabulous, while avoiding crowds or egos. Everyone from the staff to the other guests exude the best thing about living in Los Angeles: a sense of happy gratitude to be in such a beautiful place and living the good life. The daily wine hour (5-6 pm) in the atrium overlooking check-in doesn’t hurt either.

Rooms and suites are filled with light, striking an effortless balance between aesthetics and comfort. Big open windows give you that iconic LA experience of looking out over a bustling city while the minimal art and clean lines create a sense of calm, perfect for saving your energy for all the fun outside. As nice as the rooms are, the real gem is “The Rooftop on Wilshire” where the hotel’s restaurant and bar are located along with a pool, fireplace, and lounge area. Chef Eric Greenspan‘s classic menu offerings accommodate a wide range of tastes and dietary restrictions and even features a fantastic gluten-free beer (it is possible!) that made enjoying the sunset over the Hollywood hills that much more enjoyable.

Within a few short blocks of the hotel along Wilshire Blvd, explore Museum Mile by walking in LA!

LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)

La Brea Tar Pits

Craft and Folk Art Museum

Petersen Automotive Museum

Or hop on one of the Public Bikes available to guests and ride over to Rodeo Drive. Check out “The Witches House” of Beverly Hills all within 3 miles (5 km). The hotel provides a lock and biking/ jogging maps so you can get going right away.

Summer Fun

Within 10 miles (16 km) you’ll find some of LA’s best outdoor summer attractions in full swing; from the Hollywood Bowl’s legendary concerts, Cinespia’s classic movies projected under the palm trees at ‘Hollywood Forever’ to the giant FYF Fest held in late August. Not feeling up to navigating traffic or a longer ride? Lock the hotel bike up next to a conveniently located Metro bus or rail line and sail right past the horrific car congestion and parking ordeals!